Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
In the fast-paced world of business, effective leadership is essential for success. Many successful leaders have shared their insights and strategies over the years, but few have the unique perspective of Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine. Known for her impeccable taste and unwavering standards, Wintour is a trailblazer in the fashion industry and a powerful voice in female leadership.
During her long tenure with Vogue and Condé Nast, Wintour's keen eye for talent and her ability to spot trends have helped launch the careers of many designers, and she has been a champion of both established and emerging fashion houses. Her signature hairstyle, sunglasses, and reputation as a demanding boss have inspired movies such as The Devil Wears Prada, with one of the main characters Miranda Priestly drawing influence from Anna. Wintour's influence extends beyond the pages of Vogue, and her opinions and decisions have the power to shape the direction of the entire industry.
Female leadership plays a vital role in the success of any organization, and while we’re in Women’s History Month, Anna Wintour's leadership style serves as a guide to be confident, decisive, delegator, and visionary.
While “fake it till you make it” might seem cliche and overused now, Anna Wintour clarifies that this is the foundation of confidence. Phrased in her own words, “even if you aren’t sure of yourself, pretend that you are.” But not to eventually become that person, but to make it “clearer for everyone else.”
Being a woman in business is no place to rely on external stimulus for security; that security must come from you. According to a Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report from 2020, only 29% of women in the world believed they were capable of starting a business, compared to 42% of men. But this percentage isn’t based on skills or education, it’s based on confidence.
Harvard Business Review supports this finding as another report shows that women typically hold back from job applications if they don’t meet the full criteria, while men usually apply after meeting 60% of the criteria. And let’s be honest, do you really need to be excellently certified for a cashier job? I didn’t think so. Go apply for that job.
However, Ana’s confidence doesn’t just direct her life, but it sets the standards for how others should be treating her. With respect. While the media may deem her as an “ice queen,” she’s an “ice queen” that’s taken seriously. In order to be a successful leader, gaining the respect of your teammates is crucial.
In fact, this confidence translates into Wintour’s decisiveness. In her own experience, having an indecisive leader was a burden to work with and left the team scrambled in their efforts to complete assignments. Yet as a leader, Wintour has learned to channel her confidence to be decisive and confident in her decisions.
Wintour’s MasterClass taught that in order to develop the skills to be a decisive leader, these skills must come first: critical thinking, information gathering, interpersonal skills, active listening, and project management. Gaining these skills and becoming a more confident, decisive leader can lead you to future success. Wintour’s ability to make tough decisions, even in the face of opposition, is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the success of Vogue and has set a high standard for leaders in the fashion industry and beyond.
By having unwavering confidence and decision-making skills, her delegation is what has led teams to success.
While delegating tasks may commonly be viewed as pawning off the difficult tasks you personally don’t want to do, Forbes defines it differently. According to Forbes, “delegation is the process of assigning a project or activity to someone else while retaining the responsibility for its outcome.”
By retaining the responsibility, you remain a leader as it forces you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team in order to maximize productivity. During the planning of the 2018 Met Gala, Wintour delegated the responsibility of selecting the celebrity co-hosts to her deputy editor, who was able to secure Rihanna, Amal Clooney, and Donatella Versace for the event. This decision not only highlighted the deputy editor's strengths but also allowed Wintour to focus on other aspects of the event's planning.
Yet the skill that sets Wintour apart in the fashion industry is her visionary ideas.
Wintour’s ability to predict and shape future fashion trends has put her in the spotlight of fashion. Before her fame, Wintour's visionary leadership led her to launch Vogue.com. In 2010, Wintour recognized the potential of the digital space and saw an opportunity for Vogue to expand its reach and influence. She spearheaded the development of Vogue.com, which has since become one of the most popular and influential fashion websites in the world. Under Wintour's guidance, Vogue.com has continued to innovate and evolve, offering readers exclusive content, behind-the-scenes access, and cutting-edge fashion coverage.
We’ve even seen this circle through again, as VOGUE World is one of the newest projects on Vogue that brought fashion and culture from all around the world into one big show.
In being decisive, confident, and skilled at delegating, bringing visionary ideas to life becomes a little bit easier and a lot less stressful.
Anna Wintour's leadership style serves as a guiding light for female leadership in business. Her confidence, decisiveness, and visionary ideas have helped shape the fashion industry and inspire countless women to be more confident in their abilities. Her unwavering commitment to Vogue's success has set a high standard for leaders in the fashion industry and beyond. As we celebrate Women's History Month, Anna Wintour's leadership serves as a reminder of the importance of female leadership and the impact it can have on the world.